Prompt #542 – Bowyer – Sirius's Lesson – slashluv18 – Harry Potter

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Title: Sirius's Lesson
Fandom: Harry Potter
Prompts: #542 – Bowyer
Warnings: None
Pairings/Characters: Sirius/Lily
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,335
Summary: Sirius helps Lily through a revelation..

When Lily came back to Hogwarts for her seventh year, she was withdrawn. Everyone saw it. People who liked her and people who didn't all noticed the change in her nature.

Gone was the perky, spunky intelligent student who raised her hand in classes to answer almost every question. A girl who asked things about Bowyers in DADA. Instead, there was a student that although still very intelligent, was withdrawn and uninterested in class participation.

Where she would have once gave a cutting remark to someone who made fun of her because of her blood status or some other minor fault thy deemed important enough to criticize, now she simply ignored it, and with slumped shoulders, she walked away from her assailant.

Teachers tried talking to her, but she was unresponsive, refusing to tell them what the problem was.

James tried as well. The year before, he decided that he and Lily probably wouldn't make a good couple, so he decided to simply be her friend. She had accepted his proposal of friendship and they had grown close in a way Lily would have never allowed in earlier years. Everyone was sure that if anyone could get Lily to talk, it would be James. He too failed at finding out what happened that summer.

Sirius watched her. His grey eyes focused on the slim body. A hand clapped on his shoulder.

"What don't you go talk to Lily?" James asked. "Maybe you'll have some luck."

Sirius scoffed, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl who had unknowingly stolen his heart. "If she wouldn't talk to you, what makes you think she'll talk to me?"

There was silence for a moment and then, "Because she looks at you in the same way you look at her."

That finally got Sirius's attention, and he looked into the brown eyes of his best friend, his brother in all but blood. "James, I don't—"

James shook his head. "Sirius, it's okay. One of the reasons I decided I would be okay with Lily as a friend was because I realized you two liked each other. And I was fine with that. If I couldn't have Lily, then I thought you're the next best person for her. And I still think that. I think, she might talk to you about whatever is bothering her."

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered.

James smiled sadly. "It's okay. I was never angry about it, and I know you won't act on your feelings without my blessing. So, here it is. You have my blessing. Now, go get the girl of your dreams."

Despite James's encouragement, Sirius still hesitated. It was two days later that he finally approached her. It was when she was by the tree that overlooked the Black Lake, and she was alone. The perfect opportunity to talk.

"Hey, Lily," Sirius murmured as he walked towards her.

Lily looked at him. "Hi, Sirius. Are you here to try to talk to me as well?"

There was no use lying so he simply nodded. "James thinks I might have better luck than he did."

She narrowed her eyes. "And why is that?"

Sirius thought about lying, but if he ever wanted to get anywhere, he needed to be honest. "He said it was because you look at me the same way I look at you."

Lily's eyes widened but then she smiled. "That explains why he suddenly decided friendship was all he wanted with me."

Sirius nodded. "You can say what you want about Prongs, but he's pretty loyal to his friends. He kind of gave me his blessing to go after you."

Lily arched an eyebrow. "Go after, huh? Do I get a say in that?"

It was the most life he had seen in Lily since the beginning of the year, and Sirius felt his heart beat faster at the idea that he brought that out. "Of course, but only if you tell me what's bothering you."

She looked down at her feet, silent for a few moments. So much time passed that Sirius thought she wasn't going to answer, but then she looked up at him and held out her hand.

With furrowed brows, Sirius took it and allowed her to pull him down so they were sitting side-by-side. "Lily?"

"In July, my parents decided I was old enough to learn something about myself. They adopted me."

Sirius blinked. "Wow."

Lily nodded. "Yeah. You can imagine what I feel about the idea that my parents aren't my parents, and my sister isn't my sister."

"Why did they adopt you? I mean, they had your sister first, so it was obvious they could have kids."

Lily took a shuddering breath. "After Petunia, my mum got pregnant again, but she suffered a miscarriage. She was terrified of trying again, only for the same thing to happen, so my parents decided adoption was safer."

Sirius squeezed her hand. "Did they know who your biological parents were?"

Lily shook her head. "Not at first. I was simply dropped off at an orphanage. No one brought me in, but when I went to Diagon Alley, I stopped at Gringotts, and they did the ancestry test. My surname is Nott. I'm not a Muggle-born after all. What are the odds, huh?"

Sirius couldn't believe his ears. He didn't even know what to say.

"Why would they get rid of me? And in the Muggle world?"

Sirius knew that answer. "Well, the Notts have a thing about daughters. They don't like daughters since females won't carry on the family name when they get married. To a Nott, a daughter is essentially useless. I can only guess about why they took you to the Muggle world, though."

Lliy closed her eyes. "My parents didn't want me, and my mum and dad really aren't my mum and dad."

"Hold it right there," Sirius gently ordered. Lily opened her eyes and looked at him. "You're mum and dad is your mum and dad. They adopted you because they wanted you. They chose you. They made sure you were fed and had clothes. They played with you. They made sure you went to Muggle school, and they helped you with their homework. They took care of you when you were sick. And when you found out about your magic, they accepted you. They never even considered the idea of no longer loving you. Some Muggle-borns aren't as lucky, and their biological parents can't handle the truth about their magic. I heard stories about Muggle-born witches and wizards being abandoned or abused when accidental magic starts. You have no idea how lucky you are."

Lily smiled a bit. "I never thought about it like that."

"Think about this as well. Family isn't about blood; it's about love. My own biological parents have disowned because I'm not a proper Pure-blood. They disowned me because I have my own mind and won't blindly follow their orders. They disowned me because I don't believe in Pure-blood supremacy. James's parents, though, took me in. They're the mum and dad I wished I had, and I love them as if they were my own parents. And that's because they love me, despite the fact they're not related to me. They love me for who I am, and they accept me for who I am."

Lily pressed a hand against his cheek. "I'm glad you have them."

Sirius placed his own hand over her hand while it was still on his cheek. "And Lily, your mum and dad loves you. Don't punish them because they're not your blood."

Lily nodded.

"Also—"

"Sirius," Lily interrupted. She leaned closer to him. "Can you stop talking and just kiss me already?"

Sirius, of course, opened his mouth to retort that he was trying to help her, but Lily didn't let him. She sealed her lips over his

Common sense kicked in, and Sirius returned the kiss, his lips moving over hers in a parody of a dance.